By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
State owned freight transport and logistics company Transnet and Wabtec have signed a long-term material and technical support agreement valued at approximately R6.6 billion to improve the availability and reliability of locomotives.
The agreement, signed in Koedoespoort on October 15, covers Transnet’s Class 43D and 44D locomotive fleets, which haul export commodities, containers and general freight.
Transnet Engineering chief executive Bessie Mabunda said, the agreement with Wabtec is aimed at improving locomotive availability, reliability and maintenance performance across key freight corridors.
The Class 43D and 44D locomotives play a critical role in moving export commodities, containers and general freight throughout South Africa.
The agreement, said Mabunda, supports Transnet’s efforts to restore operational performance and strengthen the country’s freight logistics network.
The support package includes Wabtec’s Expert-on-Alert digital condition-monitoring platform, which is designed to improve locomotive performance, accelerate maintenance turnaround times and strengthen lifecycle fleet management.
“This agreement supports Transnet’s reinvent for growth strategy and represents an important step in improving the performance of our locomotive fleet,” added Mabunda.
“The 43D and 44D locomotives serve critical freight corridors that move export commodities, containers and general freight across South Africa. Strengthening their reliability and availability will help improve service delivery, support freight recovery and enhance the country’s logistics competitiveness.”
The partnership extends beyond maintenance support and includes technical collaboration, knowledge transfer and localisation initiatives.
These efforts are expected to strengthen local rail capabilities, develop industry skills and support the long-term growth and sustainability of South Africa’s rail sector, said Mabunda.
In 2025, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy agreed to allow 11 private firms network slots to use slots on Transnet rail, effectively ending the state-owned enterprise’s monopoly on rail.